[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 677 Introduced in House (IH)]
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 677
To provide for a study by the Institute of Medicine of the National
Academy of Sciences to identify constraints encountered by schools of
nursing in admitting and graduating the number of nurses sufficient to
meet the health care needs of the United States, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 24, 2007
Mr. Holt (for himself, Mr. McNulty, Ms. Bordallo, Mrs. Christensen, Ms.
McCollum of Minnesota, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Hinchey, Mr. DeFazio, Mr.
McDermott, Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, Mr. Higgins, Mr.
Cummings, Ms. Woolsey, Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas, and Mr. Conyers)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide for a study by the Institute of Medicine of the National
Academy of Sciences to identify constraints encountered by schools of
nursing in admitting and graduating the number of nurses sufficient to
meet the health care needs of the United States, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Nursing School Capacity Act of
2007''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds as follows:
(1) Researchers in the field of public health have
identified the need for a national study to identify
constraints encountered by schools of nursing in graduating the
number of nurses sufficient to meet the health care needs of
the United States.
(2) The shortage of qualified registered nurses has
adversely affected the health care system of the United States.
(3) Individual States have had varying degrees of success
with programs designed to increase the recruitment and
retention of nurses.
(4) Schools of nursing have been unable to provide a
sufficient number of qualified graduates to meet the workforce
needs.
(5) Many nurses are approaching the age of retirement, and
the problem worsens each year.
(6) In 2004, an estimated 125,000 applications from
qualified applicants were rejected by schools of nursing, due
to a shortage of faculty and a lack of capacity for additional
students.
SEC. 3. STUDY WITH RESPECT TO CONSTRAINTS WITH RESPECT TO SCHOOLS OF
NURSING.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall
request the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences
to enter into an agreement under which the Institute conducts a study
for the purpose of--
(1) identifying constraints encountered by schools of
nursing in admitting and graduating the number of registered
nurses necessary to ensure patient safety and meet the need for
quality assurance in the provision of health care; and
(2) developing recommendations to alleviate the constraints
on a short-term and long-term basis.
(b) Certain Components.--The Secretary shall ensure that the
agreement under subsection (a) provides that the study under such
subsection will include information on the following:
(1) The trends in applications for attendance at schools of
nursing that are relevant to the purpose described in such
subsection, including trends regarding applicants who are
accepted for enrollment and applicants who are not accepted,
particularly qualified applicants who are not accepted.
(2) The number and demographic characteristics of entry-
level and graduate students currently enrolled in schools of
nursing, the retention rates at the schools, and the number of
recent graduates from the schools, as compared to previous
years and to the projected need for registered nurses based on
two-year, five-year, and ten-year projections.
(3) The number and demographic characteristics of nurses
who pursue graduate education in nursing and non-nursing
programs but do not pursue faculty positions in schools of
nursing, the reasons therefor, including any regulatory
barriers to choosing to pursue such positions, and the effect
of such decisions on the ability of the schools to obtain
adequate numbers of faculty members.
(4) The extent to which entry-level graduates of the
schools are satisfied with their educational preparation,
including their participation in nurse externships,
internships, and residency programs, and to which they are able
to effectively transition into the nursing workforce.
(5) The satisfaction of nurse managers and administrators
with respect to the preparation and performance levels of
entry-level graduates from the schools after one year, three
years, and five years of practice, respectively.
(6) The extent to which the current salary, benefit
structures, and characteristics of the workplace, including the
number of nurses who are presently serving in faculty
positions, influence the career path of nurses who have pursued
graduate education.
(7) The extent to which the use of innovative technologies
for didactic and clinical nursing education might provide for
an increase in the ability of schools of nursing to train
qualified nurses.
(c) Recommendations.--Recommendations under subsection (a)(2) may
include recommendations for legislative or administrative changes at
the Federal or State level, and measures that can be taken in the
private sector--
(1) to facilitate the recruitment of students into the
nursing profession;
(2) to facilitate the retention of nurses in the workplace;
and
(3) to improve the resources and ability of the education
and health care systems to prepare a sufficient number of
qualified registered nurses.
(d) Methodology of Study.--
(1) Scope.--The Secretary shall ensure that the agreement
under subsection (a) provides that the study under such
subsection will consider the perspectives of nurses and
physicians in each of the various types of inpatient,
outpatient, and residential facilities in the health care
delivery system; faculty and administrators of schools of
nursing; providers of health plans or health insurance; and
consumers.
(2) Consultation with relevant organization.--The Secretary
shall ensure that the agreement under subsection (a) provides
that relevant agencies and organizations with expertise on the
nursing shortage will be consulted with respect to the study
under such subsection, including but not limited to the
following:
(A) The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
(B) The American Academy of Nursing.
(C) The American Association of Colleges of
Nursing.
(D) The American Nurses Association.
(E) The American Organization of Nurse Executives.
(F) The National Institute of Nursing Research.
(G) The National League for Nursing.
(H) The National Organization for Associate Degree
Nursing.
(I) The National Student Nurses Association.
(e) Report.--The Secretary shall ensure that the agreement under
subsection (a) provides that not later than 18 months after the date of
the enactment of this Act, a report providing the findings and
recommendations made in the study under such subsection will be
submitted to the Secretary, the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the
House of Representatives, and the Committee on Health, Education,
Labor, and Pensions of the Senate.
(f) Other Organization.--If the Institute declines to conduct the
study under subsection (a), the Secretary may enter into an agreement
with another appropriate private entity to conduct the study.
(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section.
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.
For purposes of this Act:
(1) The term ``Institute'' means the Institute of Medicine
of the National Academy of Sciences.
(2)(A) The term ``school of nursing'' means a collegiate,
associate degree, or diploma school of nursing in a State.
(B) The terms ``collegiate school of nursing'', ``associate
degree school of nursing'', and ``diploma school of nursing''
have the meanings given to such terms in section 801 of the
Public Health Service Act.
(3) The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of Health
and Human Services.
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